Gone
by fangs211
Summary: Ryo has to go back to the Digital World to take control Cyberdramon. Rika wants him back but can't admit it until it's too late. Then the waves of regret came crashing down that are washed away by the feeling of being number one in someone's world.


ATTENTION EVERYONE! I HAVE AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT! IS EVERYONE PAYING ATTENTION TO ME? OKAY, GOOD. THE BIG NEWS IS...

I don't own digimon. But have fun reading!

...

"Rika!"

Rika glared, looking away. "What, Akiyama?"

"Ooh, the last name, huh," Ryo pretended to flinch. "Rika, I wanna tell you that I'm leaving."

"Yeah. I'm leaving too. I'm going to leave and go home." Rika stood up from the park bench.

"Hey! No, seriously, I meant it." Ryo grabbed her hand. "I'm leaving. I'm going to the DigiWorld. And staying there. Cyberdramon needs me. He gets untamable, and more destructive if I'm not there. I have permission to go and stay there. Hypnos has let me go. They've set up one last portal for me. I leave tonight, at midnight."

Rika mulled over it for half a second and gave her most nonchalant shrug. "That's what you get for being partners with him."

Ryo pouted. "You're not going to cry? Go on your knees and beg me to stay?"

"The only time I go on my knees is at church. The only time I beg is when my mom's trying to get me to do a photo shoot. Good bye, Akiyama, and good riddance." Rika shrugged away from his grip.

Ryo stared at her retreating back then sighed. "Bye, WildCat. I'll miss you."

…

Later that night, Rika tossed and turned in her restless sleep. Correction. Restless rest. She couldn't sleep. Ryo was leaving. In a few hours. She watched her digital clock, counting the minutes down to midnight. Digital clock. Digimon. DigiWorld. He was going there. And staying there, probably forever. She couldn't bear it if she never saw him again. Spoke to him again and tease him again.

11:58 pm. Rika couldn't lay down anymore. He couldn't leave. She had to stop him.

Rika sprang out of bed, threw on a sweater, and ran downstairs. Once outside, she was sprinting. No, he couldn't go…

Past the park. A memory. Him, pushing her on the swing. He kept trying to push her by her butt instead of her back, the little pervert. She would miss him.

Past Guilmon's hideout. Rika wrestled with Guilmon while Ryo cheered on. He was the only one that had placed a bet on her. The others had their money on the dino digimon.

Past Takato's bakery. She caught a glimpse of another memory. They were sitting down at a table, him telling her a ridiculous joke so she could laugh so hard, juice spurted out of her nose.

Past her mom's modeling studio. Ryo making funny faces behind the camera man so Rika had no choice but to smile.

More memories. Rika ran, faster, faster. She was desperate. One glance at her watch. 11:59. No, no, he couldn't go.

Rika skidded in front of the Hypnos building. Dark. Empty. Scary. And Ryo was in there, setting up a portal for him to leave.

No. Rika yanked open the door and ran inside. "Akiyama!" she shouted. Idiot. Where was he? She was in no mood to be playing hide and seek with him. "Akiyama! Where are you?"

She spun around in a circle, frantic. He didn't pop up, laughing and saying it was just a joke. "Akiyama! I'm begging you now, don't go!"

The eerie silence ate her words up. Rika sprinted off in the other direction. "Ak-i-ya-ma," she choked. "Don't go!"

He didn't jump out from anything, teasing her for begging. If he didn't she wouldn't care; she would roll on her back like a submissive wolf and beg him to stay. She would hug him and never let him go. She would…she would…

The sounds of her footsteps pounding the floor was no comfort. Rika couldn't think, just run. Avoid objects in front of her. Running and searching for him. "Akiyama! Please, stay!"

She couldn't find him. It was almost midnight, he was going to be gone.

A glimmer of light in the dark building caught her eye. Rika spun around and ran towards it. "Don't…Don't..,Don't…"

Ryo. He was there. Rika caught a glimpse of the back of him. His messy hair. His red sweater. His green pants. His front half was already in the light. Rika couldn't run there in time.

"RRRRYYYYOOOO!" Rika screamed.

The last of his head turned slightly like he had heard but it was too late. He disappeared into the light and as soon as he didn't it dimmed down, fast.

Her watch beeped 12:00.

"No," Rika sobbed, tripping. She went sprawling against the frame. Rika sprang up again and ran through the doorframe then back. "No, don't go, stay, don't…"

He was gone. Rika desperately punched the buttons, willing it to work, to let her go through and be with Ryo but it remained dim. "No, no, no…"

He wasn't coming back. He was staying. He was gone.

_They've set up one last portal for me._

For him. The last one for him. Not for Rika. She wasn't going through. She wasn't allowed to go with him. Rika collapsed against the frame, sobbing. He wasn't coming back. She couldn't follow him. He had even given her the chance to beg, to make him stay but she declined. Was she so proud that she was willing to not say good bye?

A few hours later, Rika stood up and walked home, dragging her feet. Past the modeling studio. She couldn't help but look at it sorrowfully.

"_Ready? Up up and away!" Ryo laughed, picking her up like she was a child and throwing her up in the air. It was during a break between shots._

"_You jerk!" Rika screamed, grabbing onto his neck so he couldn't fling her up again. "Put me down!"_

Rika had a picture of that, tucked away in her photo album. The photographer really was a professional, having taken a picture of her floating in the air with an angry look and Ryo's arm up. It had been right after Ryo made his best face and Rika smiled. When the guy said it was time for a break, Rika ran right towards Ryo, planning on sending him to the hospital so he didn't have to be at the shoot. But he grabbed her like she was a child and flung her up.

Rika ducked her head down and continued walking. Takato's bakery. Her own laughter reflected back. Rika stared remorsefully at it, hoping. After Rika had snorted juice like Guilmon would snort fire, Ryo would lean back and laugh. Rika waited for his laugh but her own just faded off, cutting off just before his cue.

Rika walked on. Past Guilmon's hideout. She peeked over. Nothing. Guilmon was there alright, but it was the real him, snoring. It wasn't a distant picture of him and her wrestling and Ryo cheering in the background. She had won the fight, half to save her pride, half for him to win his prize money. But he wasn't going to be here anymore to be cheering for her.

Onward. To the swing sets. Rika stared. The swings rocked slightly in the wind but nothing came back. Rika pulled up her hood and walked all the way home without looking at anything except the sidewalk. At the porch, Rika knelt down to retrieve the key under the stone. (I'm not sure if the Nonaka keeps their house key under a stone…) Something warm touched her side.

Ryo escorted Rika home and when they reached the porch, Rika knelt down to get the key. Ryo touched her side. "Good bye, WildCat."

Rika jolted, and looked up. "Ryo…?" Then she flushed.

Renamon stared back. "Rika. Are you okay? You just called me…"

"Don't," Rika snapped. "Don't say his name."

Renamon swiped at her ear, the equivalent of a person scratching their head in confusion. (Or my equivalent for her.) "Is there something wrong?" Renamon wasn't that bothered about Rika being out at 12 at night. It was that Rika returned upset. Usually, when Rika went out at night, it was to release steam and she'd come back calmed down.

Rika shoved open the door. "Leave me alone." Rika was about to slam her door shut but remembered her mom in time. She shut the door with some force but not enough to disturb her family.

After changing, Rika curled up under her blanket. Realizing there was something wet on her cheek, Rika glanced up at the ceiling. Did it leak? No, it wasn't raining…Rika rubbed at it. Oh gosh. It was a tear and Rika was crying. Realizing it, Rika turned her head into her pillow and sobbed. She wasn't sure how long she cried but right before she drifted off to (a not very restful) sleep, something warm curled up at her side and Rika caught a whiff of Ryo.

…

Just if you're wondering why in the world Rika sniffed Ryo, it was because of all that physical contact. Meaning every time Rika tried to strangle him or wrestled with him, she had her face close to his body and naturally, she had to breath so she inhaled his scent.

And Rika was not being delusional with Ryo's scent. He left a jacket in her house. He had teasenly taken it off, claiming Rika was so hot, she was warming up the room, and forgotten it, distracted with protecting himself when Rika attacked. Renamon hide it from Rika and now, she had draped it over her Tamer's shoulder. Renamon hid it in the morning, knowing it would send Rika into A) a raging tantrum B) a sobbing fit C) the burning of a perfectly good sweater or D) all of the listed.

…

YEARS LATER…

…

Rika didn't know why she was thinking about him. He had been gone for five years. She hadn't thought about him for a year, when she thought she saw him in her computer.

Rika had been playing a zombie game and blasting their brains away when suddenly, his face had appeared in a broken down building's window. Seeing the motion, Rika had aimed her gun there and shot at him before realizing it wasn't a zombie but _him._

She didn't know if he had ducked or she had hit him but she stopped shooting at the window. She shot at the window, trying to see if that would make him come out the same way a hunter shot into a bush to fluster out the birds. Nothing. Rika stared at the window. Then the zombie attacked and dominated in her second of hesitation.

That wasn't the first time she thought she saw him. The first time, Rika was texting Henry during one of her lunch breaks when her phone vibrated, signaling a text. Rika checked it.

_'Whazzup pumpkin?'_

There was no number but Rika knew who it was. She hit reply and texted out 'Ryo? Is that you? Look, come back, okay? We miss you' then punched send. Her phone hummed then a screen popped up that said, 'Sorry, your message cannot be deliver. Please try again or check the phone number'. She threw the phone into the fountain in her frustration. It fizzled and combusted, which looked cool and all but then Rika remembered that it was a phone and as cell phones go, this one was expensive. Plus, she couldn't bring it to Henry to check who sent it.

The second time, she had been working on an essay on Microsoft Word when the little paper clip helper guy blurred and changed into Ryo. She didn't noticed until she clicked on the 'paper clip' for help. The little bubble came up and it said 'What can I help you with WildCat?'

Rika had blinked and it returned back to the paper clip and 'What can I help you with?'

The third time, two years ago, Rika had been battling a Digimon stimulation with Renamon. Although Hypnos refused to let the Tamers or Digimons go through again, they allowed the Digimons to stay with their tamers and even created a computer stimulation for the Digimons to fight. This one had been a tough one and Renamon was about to lose when Ryo's form appeared behind the monster. It was just an outline but Rika had recognized it. It was him. He had changed some, being taller and having a tougher look to his form. The shadow's hands touched the monster's shoulder. The monster whirled around to see who had touched it but Ryo was gone. Kyubimon jumped up and destroyed the monster.

And whenever Rika was feeling sad and lonely, she always fell asleep with Ryo's scent surround her. (Renamon always draped the jacket around Rika at night when Rika was feeling upset.)

"This is just plain stupid!" Rika threw her soda can on the ground and kicked it. "Why!" She kicked it again. "Why?"

"Z," sang Suzie as she ran up to Rika. She frowned. "Did you fur-get your ABCs? You kept on saying 'y'."

"It's nothing. Silly old me, I was trying to see if a smart little girl knew her ABCs." Rika ruffled Suzie's hair, trying to look cheerful. She did a very convincing job of it because Suzie beamed then squealed.

"Wee-ka! Wee-ka! No, stop!" Suzie ducked and covered her head. "Henwy just finished my hair! It's Lopmon's turn wight now."

"Looks good," Rika replied, not at all guilty at messing up Suzie's hair do. Henry couldn't be a girl even if he had two Xx. (And Rika couldn't act like one either, and she HAD two Xs.) "So how come you decided to follow me around?"

"Because Terriermon told me," Suzie announced.

(Flash image. A fox-Renamon- hunting a rabbit-Terriermon. Guess which would win. Hint. The one that wins a dinner in the real world.)

"Ah. Well, you win the game. You followed me. Now go to Terriermon and demand your prize for winning. If he doesn't give it, then throw a tantrum."

"Okay!" Suzie ran off again.

"Renamon, you better follow her," Rika advised. "She doesn't look both ways when crossing the street."

"I'll see you back at home." Renamon dash off after Suzie.

Finally. Some time alone to herself. Rika sighed and continued walking.

Out of nowhere, her D-arc began beeping wildly. Rika stared at it. Was Renamon in trouble? No, the arrow was pointing to the other direction instead of where Renamon and Suzie had gone. Was it a bad digimon?

Calumon was sitting on a fence next to a cat, sharing a tuna cream puff with it. (Is that even a real thing? I wanna try a tuna creampuff!)

"Hey, Calumon. Can you smell a dangerous digimon nearby?" Rika called.

Calumon frowned. "No. But I can smell this cat! He smells like tuna!"

So it wasn't another dangerous digimon. So was it just her going crazy? Rika was going to find out. She began running in the direction of the pointing arrow, which made her run right into traffic. And ironically she thought Suzie needed help crossing the streets.

Never the less, Rika kept on running, this time keeping an eye out for cars and bikers and anything else that tried to run her over. Then Rika realized where she was going. To the old Hypnos building.

Rika skidded to a stop. She didn't want to go back. She couldn't. She just couldn't. It would be too sad with all the memory.

But the D-arc was vibrating in it anticipation of whatever it was. Rika wanted to go find out what it was! Curiosity was gonna kill this WildCat. Wait, did she just think that? Urg! His stupid nicknames were still around despite him non existence. Curious Rika (Curious George!) crept forward slowly because she was hiding from her Ryo-depressed self.

Then she didn't have to. The arrow on the D-arc swung a fraction of a degree to the right and slowly inched its way across the screen.

Rika began walking in the slanted direction. She almost hit a wall. Avoiding traffic and walls now, Rika began following the arrow again.

It lead her to the park, where the Digimons had to go (but then they came back anyways so this place had no significant meanings aside from the fact it's there...). Rika, probably too busy watching out for cars and walls, bumped into something solid.

"Hey, there," someone cautioned in a growly voice.

Rika realized she had crashed into a…person? No way would a human have a solid body…Rika stepped back, balling her fist up and ready to fight.

Cyberdramon leaned down and glared friendly-ly at her. He growled a greeting. (That's not a word and that's an oxymoron. But Cyberdramon seems to have a permanent glaring face so what I mean is that he was looking at her in a non threatening way...while glaring. O-kay. Back to the story.)

"Play nicely, Cyberdramon," another voice rebuked and Rika froze.

_Run! RUN!_ Her instincts yelled at her. _Run_away_or run right at him?_ Rika wondered back.

_JUST RUN!_

_Okay, fine, fine!_ Rika ran around Cyberdramon's big body. (No, I'm not implying his fat or anything…)

(If you wanted her to run away, then here's the version where she did.

…

Rika turned around and started to run away but…)

"WildCat?" His voice questioned.

Where was he? Rika stopped running.

(Running away version: She turned around, waiting. Real version: She turned around, waiting. It's basically the same. A delay because she was either running away or she was going around Cyberdramon and he was walking around Cyberdramon in the same direction. You know, like in the movies when you run around something and someone is chasing you but the thing you run around is so big, neither of you can see the other no matter how much you try…This is confusing…)

"Rika?" Ryo said softly as he turned the Cyberdramon of a corner and saw the figure of a girl with a spiky ponytail.

"No, I'm not Rika, I'm your worst nightmare," Rika said sarcastically.

"Wow! Because I'm pretty sure you were in my dreams." Ryo wanted to wrap his arms around her but she would probably send him to dreamland. He preferred the real her over the dream her though…

Rika snorted. "So care explain why you were popping up into my stuff? My phone, my computer, my games?"

"Well, I heard your consciousness begging me-" Rika smacked him and he winked at her "-back when I was about to leave. All those years, I've been trying to find a way to communicate, to ask if you really wanted me back. And I did almost get through a few times."

"But via my stuff?" Rika snapped. "I was working on a project. You bother me. I was having a good texting conversation with Henry-" Rika noticed that Ryo's eyes narrowed slightly at the thought of her texting another guy, even if it was Henry- "you bother me. Renamon and I were having a perfectly good game and you-"

"Saved your life," Ryo interrupted, smiling. "And you repay me by shooting at my head and continued shooting at me when you figured out it was me. I mean, WTH?"

Rika blushed inwardly. "Well I did tell you that one day, I was going to kill you and that proves it. Especially if you keep on bugging me," Rika said hotly. "And duh, I was suppose to shoot you. It was a zombie game and you are a brainless twerp." She touched her knuckles to his cheek playfully.

"On the contrary. Zombies have brains. Therefore, I have a brain. Ah, the Ice Queen admits that the Digimon King has a mind!" Ryo pretended to swoon.

"Shut up. Why must you cause me so much pain. Why did you leave?" Rika insisted, getting back to serious business.

Ryo didn't reply as he stared at Cyberdramon. "Rika, I love Cyberdramon-"

"Gay," Rika coughed.

He ignored her. "-more than anything in the world. He's my partner. I'll stay by his side forever and ever. He's the only one for me."

Rika's mind was trying to sort out all that. Wait, was Ryo actually gay or what?

Ryo turned his gaze to Rika and Rika had trouble giving him the sheepdog-staring-contest eye that she was so famous for

"Or he would be number one in my life," Ryo continued. "Except there is another one who I love much much more."

Cyberdramon grunted. He already knew he was no longer the man in his man's world. (Weird awkward moments here!)

Ryo stared into Rika's eyes. "Rika, you are the number one thing I love most. That's why I worked so hard to get Cyberdramon to behave so I could find a way to come back and have both of you."

"Yeah, of course," Rika grumbled. "But why did you bother me on my favorite stuff? You had to ruin them for me. Why couldn't you bug…" Rika didn't know who Ryo would bug. He wasn't that close to any other tamer.

"Because." He drew her close. "Because I love you."

Rika didn't fight back for once. She rested her head on his shoulder and Cyberdramon stepped forward for a group hug then realized it wasn't the time for a group hug. He looked away politely.

(I am so bad at this romance fluff…now on to some humor!)

"And I was there in the technology you see a lot and love so much is because you're gonna see a lot of me!" Ryo said cheerfully. He leaned close to her ear. "And because I know I am one of your favorite 'stuff', aren't I, WildCat? You love me." He released her and was on Cyberdramon's back before she could sock his brains out and make him worse than zombie dead.

"That's not true!" Rika ranted, running after Cyberdramon. _It's good to have Ryo back. I missed him. I wanted him back. I lov-_

"You've gotten slower," Ryo disapproved, looking down at her.

"You've gotten fatter, using Cyberdramon to run for you," Rika yelled back.

"Sorry, I've been cheating on you and Cyberdramon. It's ice cream. She's so cold, just like you, Rika, but I love her. Maybe I do have a type…I like the cold but sweet ones." (Great, I just ruined ice cream for myself.)

_Forget it! I hate him! I will actually murder him this time!_Rika jumped up onto Cyberdramon's back. Ryo grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, helping her onto Cyberdramon's shoulder.

"So, wanna go get some ice cream?" He asked casually, being the absentminded dork he was. "I would like to be with my three most favorite things in the world today."

Rika liked ice cream too. (And I secretly liked creampuffs. *Slaps a high five with Calumon.*) So she slowly nodded. "Alright, Akiyama. But no jokes, okay, or I'm shoving you off Cyberdramon then jump off him to squish you."

"Ah, so you'll be falling for me," Ryo teased.

"What did I say about the jokes?" Rika snapped.

"Fine, fine." Ryo smiled. "No jokes, promise."

They went past the swing sets.

A vision of Ryo pushing a little kid with blue eyes and red hair.

Past the modeling studio.

Ryo, Rika and the kid posing for a family picture. (Wait, he just came back and Rika's seeing them having kids now? What am I doing?)

Past Guilmon's hideout.

Rika and Ryo snuggling down under a blanket as they waited for the rain to stop.

Past Takato's bakery.

Ryo and Rika on…their first date? Rika shook her head, blinking. She looked over to Ryo and he smiled back.

"I won't ever leave you again, Rika." He tapped Cyberdramon's head. "You hear that Cyberdramon? I won't leave Rika for you ever again. So if you get out of control again, you'll be all by yourself. So behave." He winked at Rika. "Love you, WildCat."

…

Later, as Rika was licking at her vallina ice cream like a kitten at a saucer of milk and Ryo was 'making out' with his chocolate ice cream and Cyberdramon was slurping at his, Rika smiled to herself.

_Love you too, Ryo. Don't you ever leave._

…

So this is going to sound weird and all but when I was reading other people's Ryukis, I found another story titled 'GoneForever?' It's by LuceScuro! His/her story is better in my opinion! That was my original name for this fanfic but I don't want to copy other people's titles! So I renamed this story 'Gone' since Ryo isn't Gone FOREVER! Although that would be one less person to poke fun at Rika, I'm sure all of us love Ryo and want him to stay.


End file.
